Our Story Hello, my name is Mike Talley, and my lovely wife’s name is Jennifer Talley. We have been married for 10 years, and we have three wonderful children. They are all our biological children. We live in Albany, Georgia, which is 3 hours south of Atlanta and is tucked away in the southwest corner of the state. I am a Civil Engineer and Jen is a school teacher by trade. However she is taking a little break to stay home with the kids. She taught for 5 years before we had kids. Our first child is Nathan. He was born in 2000, and he is five. He started kindergarten this fall and it has been a challenge at times. Our second child is Charlie. He was born in 2002 and turned 3 in March. Charlie marches to the beat of his own drum. He loves his big brother, and they play very well together. He loves guitars, as well, and we have decided that when he turns 4, we will put him in guitar lessons. Our third child is Madi. She was born in 2004 and will be 1 in June. She was born with a clubbed left foot. The first three months of her life she had a new cast on each week. Then the doctor let her have a three month break to see how the foot would respond. Well, it did not respond very well. We got hooked up with the Shriners, and they have done a wonderful job correcting her foot. She is now walking and her foot looks great. Praise the Lord. She is a little spitfire, and she gives her older brothers a run for their money. So why adoption? As you will read on the webpage, adoption was the farthest thing from my mind. It is amazing how the Lord can change your heart in an instant. Jen had her tubes tied after Madi was born, and we were content with life with three kids. Then we saw a show on TV about large families, and Jen started talking about another show she had seen. After that, life went on as normal until I felt a gnawing in my spirit. It is very hard to explain, but I literally woke up one morning with an overriding desire to adopt a child. That day the Lord gave me a name and a place. Although, when I approached Jen about it, I left that part out, mainly to see how she would react. I did not want to prejudice the jury pool.  After we talked about it (many late nights) I told her that the Lord had given me the name Mae (we have changed it to Mei, which means younger sister) and China. From that point on, we have both felt an intense bond with our daughter. We pray for her and her birth mother every night, and sometimes we are both overcome with emotion to the point of tears. We just want to hold her and bring her home. It is so hard being away from her. I know that some of you will be asking the question of how all that is possible. After all, she will not be our biological child, and we have never seen her. All I can say is that you will not understand until it happens to you. I can not put it into words, but it is like one of my own children is out in the world somewhere and we have to wait to get them back. She is ours. I do not feel any other way. The Lord has given her to Jen and me just like he has given us our other three children. Like I said, it is hard to explain. Those of you with kids will understand it if I put it this way: Remember how you felt when you held your son or daughter for the first time…that is how we feel. Some have asked why we are doing this. Here is a big tip: the Lord changed my heart overnight…that does not happen all the time. Now, there is a hunger in our spirits to bring Mei home. Also, some have mentioned other things. Some have commented on how generous we are. Others have said what a good deed this is. Still others have said they are happy we are doing this because of the terrible conditions over in China--that we can give a child a home. ALL THOSE REASONS ARE WRONG, and Jen and I will not stand for them. Ask other parents who have adopted, and they will tell you that they have received similar comments. Nothing could be farther from the truth. She is not my biological child, but she is connected to us in the Spirit. Also, she has probably already been born. If not yet, then real soon, so keep her and her birth mother in your prayers. She will be abandoned in a public place when she is 2 or 3 months old, and someone will find her and take her to an orphanage. Sometimes they have notes attached to them with their birth date and name. Sometimes not. We continue to pray for her and her mother’s health and safety and for her mother's spiritual healing. I can not imagine having to give one of my children up.         This page hosted by